Chemistry
by sinful starlet
Summary: M/A fic. Things get complicated for Max, but she should always remember - you can't fight chemistry!
1. Default Chapter

Chemistry

By Sinful Starlet

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Disclaimer: Not that this actually makes a difference but nothing Dark Angel related belongs to me - except the plot of this fic!

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Rating: Gonna go up and down - probably R on average

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Summary: Max thought she had it all figured out - she loved Logan even though she couldn't be with him and Alec? He was just Alec - mildly irritating and a little too good at getting himself or her into trouble, but she forgot one thing - you can't fight chemistry! 

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Author's note: Okay, trying to keep the rambling to a minimum here, but here we go! This is my second DA fic so far - didn't get a fabulous reception to the last one (but huge thanks to All mighty Terrestrial and Heat who did review my first one!) so I thought I'd have another go. Also didn't want to say this, but it's gonna become fairly screamingly obvious early on that this is a M/A fic, so if that's not your thing you will _not_ like this! Hopefully some people will agree with me though when I say they have been a totally obvious couple since the beginning of S2! I would like to point out that it's not that I don't like Logan, but this idea has been floating around in my head for a while. Also, since a couple of people have said this to me now, I thought I'd add my two cents - I do not see a Max/Alec relationship as incest at all. Zack, Tinga, Ben, etc. were all Max's siblings because they were in the same unit and they were always together. Max only met Alec like eight months ago, so I don't think she can reasonably call him her brother! Sorry - didn't want to rant there - just pointing out a few facts as I saw them!

Anyway, back to the story. Basic plot is mine (I hope!) but I have borrowed bits of "Fuhgeddaboudit" and "Hello Goodbye" plus general stuff from the rest of the season. I had to kinda re-jig the order of the stuff from "Hello Goodbye" to get it to fit my story, but you'll understand once you read it. Hope ya like it! *SS* J 

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Chemistry

By Sinful Starlet

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Introduction

Max shivered slightly in the cool night air, and drew her knees up to her chest as she sat up on the Space Needle. It was her favourite place to go when she needed to sit and think about things for a while, and right now she certainly had plenty to think about. Her life had been so complicated recently, and she practically smiled at the thought. Just when you think you've got a handle on things, life throws you a curveball. She checked her watch again, but it wasn't as late as it looked. Seattle always got a little darker than usual around November, even though it was only 7.30.

Still, being up there, away from everybody, away from all the distractions of her life, she could get some decent unfiltered thought going on. Things had changed so much in the last week - in fact if someone had told her what was going to happen that week a few months ago she would have either laughed her ass off or punched out whoever it was that told her. Yeah, she had some regrets, but she was sure that she had made the right choice. The air grew a little cooler and she pulled her coat round her more in an effort to keep warm. She didn't even flinch as she felt an arm wrap round her waist, and leaned back into the hug offered to her. She felt a slight smile cross her lips as she turned her head just enough to see his face, "You're late!"

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part #1

When she thought about it, it had really started the night she had busted Alec out of jail. It wasn't his fault for once, the police had finally found some of the bodies of Ben's victims. He had slipped up somewhere and somehow the police had got a description and a DNA sample - unfortunately for Alec they matched him perfectly. Alec hadn't known what to think, he knew he hadn't done it, but he couldn't figure out why they thought it was him. It wasn't till Max arrived at the station that she found out what he was accused of - murder.

She set up the meeting, pretending to be his lawyer and just sat calmly as they ushered him and sat him at the table in front of her. He waited just long enough for the cops to leave the room, then he started speaking, "Thank God you're here Max - you've got to get me outta here". Max stood up and paced round for a second, she didn't want to believe it, but what if it was true? She had to know either way. "Did you do it?", she said quietly. "What?!", Alec replied, taken aback, "You think I could just cold bloodedly murder someone like that?" Max didn't answer, she honestly didn't know what to say.

"Oh come on!", Alec said insistently, "The guy had his teeth pulled out! You know I couldn't do that!" 'Teeth?', Max thought, a chill running over her...Ben? "Alright", she said eventually, "I believe you, but we've got to get outta here now". She called the guard back to collect Alec and knocked him out as he came through the door, she grabbed his keys and unlocked Alec's hand cuffs, beckoning for him to follow her.

Getting out of the station and back to her apartment had been interesting to say the least, but they did manage to get there at last and Alec just followed Max as she took the elevator back up to her apartment with her motorcycle. "You can crash on the couch", she said once they were inside and she had checked to see that OC wasn't at home, "it's probably not a good idea to go back to your apartment tonight". "Yeah thanks", Alec replied, sitting down on the sofa, and then looking back up at her. 

She turned away almost instantly though, and walked over to the kitchen away from him, starting to make some coffee. He sat there for a second, then got up and followed her. "You gonna tell me what's going on?", he asked, as she tried to avoid his gaze, "Why you suddenly changed your mind and got me out of there?" "I'd really rather not", she said, avoiding the question, and brushing past him, still making the coffee and avoiding eye contact. This time she wasn't quick enough though, and he blocked her way, every time she tried to get past him. "Please Max", he said, more quietly, "I need to know".

Max sighed, she really didn't want to be thinking about this right now, not when she would be admitting it all to someone who looked exactly like Ben. She eventually relented and led them both back over to the sofa where she sat down with her coffee and gestured for him to do the same. "You didn't do what they were accusing you of, but they thought it was you because they had a DNA evidence match". Alec looked confused, not exactly sure what she was telling him.

"You didn't kill those people", Max went on, finding each word more difficult to say, "it was Ben". Alec sat back, finally realising what had happened. "Ben?", he asked, "My twin from Manticore?". Max just nodded, she didn't know if she could say anything else. Finally she managed to say, "He couldn't cope in the real world, Manticore really screwed him up and we all got separated when we escaped. The first time I saw him again after the escape was when I was trying to find a murder suspect for Logan - it was an Eyes Only deal".

Alec didn't interrupt her once, he figured she needed to get this stuff off her chest. "I wish you could have known him...before", Max went on, tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes, "he was so sweet, so innocent, but it was too late to save him. Manticore got onto him and when we were trying to get away he broke his leg - there was no way I could get him out in time so...I killed him". Alec fought back a gasp, _that _he had not been expecting. "He asked me to, so I killed him - that was the only way I could save him". 

By now it was just too much for her, and the sobs started coming freely, she leant forward, burying her face in her hands. She didn't even object when Alec, being uncharacteristically gentle, pulled her into a hug and whispered to her soothingly till she stopped crying. "I am so sorry Max", he said, "They never told me what happened to him. God, I can't imagine what it must be like seeing me every day with _his_ face looking back at you". She started to cry again at that and he just pulled her more tightly to him, resting a single kiss on the top of her head. "It wasn't your fault Max", he said after a while, "you saved him the only way you could...you saved us all".

They sat together like that for some time, Alec just rocking her back and forth in his arms while she cried out all the grief and pain she had been holding in for months, unable to tell anyone. Eventually, the tears subsided, and she made her way to bed, leaving Alec to sleep on the couch. She found sleep didn't come too easily that night though, she had cried so much she was heavily dehydrated, so she had to get up again for a drink. She crept silently into the living room, not wanting to make a sound just in case Alec was asleep, which she found, he was. 

He lay sleeping quite peacefully on the couch, although every now and then, a frown crossed his brow as he slept, and he pulled the blanket closer to his chest. Despite herself, Max found herself creeping over to him and stroking his face gently until the frown subsided and a slight smile returned. Once she realised what she was doing though, she pulled back suddenly, almost falling over his clothes in the process. She had to smile at that, his clothes were folded up perfectly in a pile at the foot of the couch - 'always the soldier' she thought. She crept away to get her glass of water from the kitchen, although she found she couldn't help but stop and watch him again for a few moments before she went back to bed. Whatever she had thought, maybe there was something she hadn't noticed about him before.

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part #2

The next morning, Logan woke early. He and Max hadn't seen much of each other lately, so he decided to go see before she went to work. He knew she was worried about the virus, but that shouldn't mean they had to totally cut each other out of their lives. He got dressed quickly and drove round to her apartment building. He stepped out of the car and started to walk towards the building when he saw something that made him stop and wait. Max was standing there, though he could barely tell it was her at first, wrapped up in the arms of..."Alec?" 

Logan stood there, too shocked to move at first, it was way too early for Alec to be making morning calls, from Max's complaints he knew that Alec never got up that early in the morning. But there he was, holding Max in a tight embrace and kissing her forehead. He just stood there for a few more minutes then he walked back to the car, ignoring the single tear that threatened to roll down his cheek. He didn't wait for an explanation, it all seemed too clear to him already.

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A few minutes earlier...

Max let the door of the building swing shut behind her as she and Alec left early that morning. Alec of course, needed to get a change of clothes before work, so he was going to stop off at the market rather than go back to his apartment, and Max was going to meet OC for breakfast. "Well", Alec said, "I guess I should apologise for another lovely evening!" Max smiled and nodded. "You okay?", Alec asked, already knowing the answer. No matter how fine Max thought she was, she couldn't help it when she felt tears rising to her eyes again.

"Hey come here", Alec said gently, pulling her into another hug and tenderly kissing her forehead, "none of that soldier!" Max smiled, pulling back a little, though not out of the hug as his arms slipped down to her waist. "Thank you", she said, sniffing a little and wiping her eyes. "For what?", Alec asked, not quite following. "Just thank you", Max replied, saying nothing else, but speaking volumes with her eyes. "Anytime", Alec replied, finally releasing his hold on her waist, and turning to leave, "see ya at work?" Max nodded and managed another smile as he walked away, she didn't even notice Logan's car speeding past.

Later that day, Max pulled her bike to a halt outside Logan's apartment building. She had a delivery to make in that area so she thought she may as well stop by. Though now she was there, she still wasn't too sure about going in. She eventually told herself to stop being so ridiculous and chained her bike up outside, riding the elevator up to his floor. She needn't have bothered knocking, but she did, walking in when she heard his voice calling her to come in. The room was dark as she stepped inside and she saw that the blinds were drawn even though it was barely 2.00 in the afternoon.

She finally found Logan sitting on his couch with an open bottle of Scotch in front of him that he was clearly trying to make a serious dent in. "Logan?", she questioned, "Is everything okay? It's not like you to have a drinking lunch". She sat down on the coffee table in front of him and tried to figure out what had happened.

Logan wasn't too drunk, but he practically laughed when he saw her. "Hey", he managed eventually, "you look well...you _doin'_ any good recently?" Max looked at him in confusion, but she still had no idea what was going on. "Logan, look at me", she said, carefully tilting his chin up so he had to (she was wearing thick gloves because of the November cold, but she was still worried about the virus), "is there something wrong?" "No everything's rosy", he deadpanned, "sun's shining, birds are singing, you're screwing Alec--" "What?", Max gulped, completely shocked. 

"I saw you two together this morning at your place", Logan said bitterly, "I don't think you're gonna tell me that he was there that early 'cause he has a paper route!" Max looked down at the floor, she couldn't face him like this, and she had absolutely no idea what to say to him. Unfortunately, he didn't interpret the silence well, "I'm sorry Max, I didn't mean to go off at you", he said, now seeming calmer, more sober. "Just tell me that there's nothing going on between the two of you", he said, turning round to lie down on the couch, and rest his hand over his eyes, "and life can go back to normal".

Max sat there for a few seconds trying to think what to say, but ultimately even she was surprised when she said, "I...I can't do that". That had clearly not been the answer Logan had been expecting and he sat up a little too quickly, suddenly sober as a priest on Sunday. "What?", he asked again, more slowly. "I can't tell you that there's nothing between me and Alec", Max said, trying to convince herself with every new word that she was doing the right thing, "I'm sorry". Logan sat back in surprise, not knowing what to do with that new information. "I'm really sorry Logan", Max said standing up, suddenly needing to be somewhere...anywhere else. She left before he could say another word.

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AN. Okay, I know that was basically just a rejig of a couple of episodes, but trust me, you need this part to get the rest of the story! More up soon! And a review or two would be nice! J *SS*


	2. Chemistry part two

Chemistry

By Sinful Starlet

Disclaimer: usual standard stuff applies, nothing is mine except the plot yadda yadda yadda!

Rating: see first chapter for expl!

Summary: Max thought she had it all figured out - she loved Logan even though she couldn't be with him and Alec? He was just Alec - mildly irritating and a little too good at getting himself or her into trouble, but she forgot one thing - you can't fight chemistry! 

Author's note: Okay - chapter two! Start to get into the story properly now. Gets a bit more interesting (at least I hope it does!) and only slightly more confusing! LOL! *SS*

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part #3

Logan sat there for quite a while afterwards, just trying to process what Max had said to him, 'I'm sorry', she had said, 'I can't tell you that'. He didn't understand what had happened. Just a couple weeks before that she had beaten the hell out of him to help him catch that mob family so what the hell was that...foreplay? He didn't even want to think about it, he just wanted to be able to deny it, but the sad truth was that he didn't know Max well enough anymore to make that kind of call. He sat there for only a few more minutes after that before rather shakily getting up, grabbing his coat and heading out.

He pulled up outside Joshua's house, thinking here he might finally get some answers. Max was Joshua's best friend, and she certainly seemed to spend plenty of time with him, so Logan figured he could probably tell him what was going on. He walked round to the back door, the only one he had seen Max use and let himself in. Once inside he called out to Joshua, guessing from his voice that he was in what passed as his living room. He walked into the room to find Joshua, and the one person he had really not wanted to see. "Logan come to visit", Joshua nodded, patting the chair next to him. "Hey man", the other guy said, offering his usual smile, "how you doing?"

Logan reluctantly took the chair, smiling to Joshua, although he couldn't bring himself to extend the expression to Alec. "I didn't know you played chess", he remarked to him, in a tone that was just a little too high-and-mighty, although only Alec noticed this. "Yeah well", Alec replied indifferently, "it was one of the only games we got back at Manticore - good for strategy and stuff", he added, making his move to capture one of Joshua's knights, "your move buddy". Joshua growled a little, as quietly as he could manage before hunching down to study the board more carefully. 

"So what brings you here then?", Alec said, trying to make conversation, "aside from the excellent company", he quickly added when Joshua growled again. "Actually I came to talk to Joshua, but I guess now _you're_ here I can come back later". Again, Alec noticed the openly hostile tone Logan used when he said 'you're here', but he still couldn't figure why. He was just about to reply when Joshua cheered triumphantly before announcing that he had "Mate check!" Alec laughed, "That's 'checkmate' buddy, but congratulations - that was a great game!" Joshua smiled, pleased at his win.

"Well I guess since I just lost three games in a row I can probably go now and leave you guys to talk!", Alec said, standing up and trying to salvage a little dignity, "But you know I want a rematch right?" Joshua smiled again, "Maybe next time Alec kick Joshua's butt!" "Yeah maybe!", Alec laughed heading for the door, calling back, "See ya Logan!" "So you're just gonna act like nothing happened then?", was the only reply he got from Logan. "What?", Alec asked, walking back into the room, "Did I miss something?" "No", Logan said, standing up, (which Joshua also did) "but apparently I did!"

Joshua just stood there confused, looking from Alec to Logan, waiting for someone to give him an answer. "Don't look at me man!", Alec said, holding up his hands in mock surrender, "I have no idea what he's talking about!" "I'm talking about Max!", Logan snapped, his temper getting the better of him. "Little fella okay?", Joshua questioned, not seeing the confusion on Alec's face too. "I saw you two together this morning", Logan started, not giving Alec a chance to speak, "and she just admitted that there was something going on between you".

Alec stopped himself, he had been all ready to deny it, but when Logan said that Max had admitted it, he was completely thrown. What the hell was she thinking? He eventually managed to mutter something fairly non-committal and left as quickly as he could. Logan just stood there for a while after he had gone, trying to figure out what could have happened that would have turned Max away from him and into the arms of Alec who hadn't been his favourite person even before that morning. "Logan okay?", Joshua said eventually, resting a hand gently on Logan's shoulder. 

"Not even close", Logan said, managing a half smile as he turned back to face Joshua, "I don't understand what happened - I mean I feel like I barely know Max anymore", he sighed, then quietly, almost to himself he added, "I thought she hated Alec". "Women!", Joshua said, laughing a little at his own joke. "Yeah I know!", Logan replied, "I just thought Max was different". "She is", Joshua replied, "just not how you think". "Little fella tryin' to make sense of her world and be happy - same as everyone else". "I don't even know how long it's been going on", Logan sighed, sitting down in one of the chairs, "I just never saw it coming". "Not true", Joshua said, shaking his head and also sitting, but he sat cross legged on the floor, "Logan just not want to see it". "People strange", Joshua remarked, "Max love Logan, but want to be with Alec". 

"She still loves me?", Logan questioned, answered by Joshua's nod. "But she still gonna be with Alec", Joshua interrupted, "can't fight chemistry". Logan started to protest but Joshua beat him to it. "Max and Alec - two of same kind, chemistry telling them to be together". Logan sat and listened as Joshua spoke, he wasn't trying to be unkind or hurtful to Logan, he was just stating what he saw as fact. "Joshua still not understand women, not same - Little fella, Original Cindy - too different, but if Joshua was Logan, he'd talk to Max". Logan smiled, patting Joshua on the shoulder, "Thanks - you're a good friend Joshua". Joshua smiled, "Now Logan play chess!" Logan laughed, and agreed to a couple of games.

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part #4

That night, Max sat at a table in Crash, sharing a pitcher with Sketchy and OC when Alec showed up, not looking in a particularly great mood. He saw her almost immediately, but he didn't go over straight away, needing to figure out what he was going to say to her first. Instead, he made his way over to the bar, sliding onto a stool and ordering a drink. He wasn't on his own for long though, as he spotted some blonde girl down the other end of the bar making eyes at him. He smiled back and after a few seconds, she got up and made her way over to him. 

Over on the other side of the club, Max finally noticed him, and she sighed in disgust at the scene in front of her. OC rolled her eyes, but she could see Max was more than a little pissed off. "What's cookin' ya boo?", she asked, frowning. Max just shook her head again, "I just think it's pathetic what some girl's will do to get a guy's attention". "What y'all staring at?", Sketchy asked, peering over Max's shoulder, then catching sight of the blonde girl virtually draping herself all over Alec. "Woah man!", he whistled appreciatively, "I don't know how he does it!" He could see that that remark wasn't making him too popular at that point, so he conveniently spotted another guy from work and went over to talk to them for a sec.

Max watched Alec for a few more seconds, then turned her back on him, still disgusted. "What?", she said, in answer to Cindy's questioning look. "What you said before, about it being pathetic what a girl'll do to get a boy's attention?". Max nodded, waiting for OC to go somewhere. "Well did you mean 'a' boy, or hot boy over there?" Max was a little surprised at the suggestion, where the hell had that come from? Cindy just laughed though as Max tried to look more and more incredulous. "I ain't sayin' you're jealous boo", she went on, "I'm just saying blondey-blonde isn't the first girl to notice that Alec's a fine young thang!"

This didn't exactly help Max's incredulity! "Oh come on!", Cindy laughed, "You should come to Crash more often - boy's practically got a fan club going!" "It's just the way you were made", she continued. "I ain't seen too many ugly X5s!" Max rolled her eyes, trying not to take OC too seriously, though mainly she was just trying to figure out why seeing Alec with that girl was bothering her so much. She didn't get much more of a chance to think about it though as she saw Sketchy walk up to Alec at the bar. She swore silently, and turned round, but sure enough, about thirty seconds later, Sketchy walked back to the table, bringing Alec with him.

"Hey sugar!", OC greeted Alec, "You joining us?" "Not just yet", Alec replied, "I need to borrow Max for a minute". Max glanced up at him, and she could see from his expression that it was important so she got up, exchanging a nervous look with Cindy. Alec practically dragged her over to the bar so they could talk in relative privacy. "Hey!", Max said when they stopped, "What's up with you?"

"Well, funny story actually", Alec joked sarcastically, "See I just had to lie to Logan and tell him that yes, you and me were a couple now, though I have no idea why!...And were you just staring at me a minute ago?" Max groaned, she hadn't expected Logan to go out and find Alec. She swore silently then looked up at him again, "So what did you say?", she asked, "And no - I was not staring at you!" Alec rolled his eyes as if to say 'whatever', but he actually said, "I told him that we'd not been together all that long and we had been trying to keep it quiet to keep from hurting his feelings". Max sighed with relief, "Thank you", she said. "You gonna tell me what the hell is going on then?", Alec prompted. 

Max sighed again, "I can't be with Logan", she said, "and just being around him, knowing that I can't be with him is awful, but I can't just stop being with him. At least if he thinks I'm with someone else he might move on, find someone else to make him happy". Alec was taken aback at her honesty - she wasn't doing this for herself at all, she wanted Logan to forget her so _he_ could be happy. "Please Alec", she said, looking up at him again, silently pleading with him, and the pain in that expression nearly floored him. "Of course", he said, all thoughts of the mysterious blonde leaving his mind in an instant, "if you really think it'll help". 

Just at that moment though, Max saw Logan enter the club and lock eyes with her. She didn't have any time to come up with another plan so he just wrapped her arm round Alec's neck and pulled him into a kiss. Alec wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but he went with it, kissing her too and wrapping his arms round her waist. The kiss deepened a little more than either of them expected, lips parting and tongues merging as the intensity grew. "Woah!", Sketchy exclaimed, catching a glimpse of Max and Alec wrapped up in each other, "Uh when did they get together?" OC said nothing, just shook her head, but she then saw Logan and figured what Max's plan must be. 

She shook her head again, sorry for her friend, "I hope it works boo", she murmured under her breath. Eventually, they had to break apart to breathe, it was only then that Alec saw Logan, and he did not look happy. "I think I should go", he said, making Max understand that he had seen him, "I'll see ya tomorrow okay? Call me if you need to". Max nodded, letting him go, then pulling him back to kiss him once more before he left. The second kiss didn't quite match the intensity of the first, but they were both breathing heavily as they parted for the second time. Alec left and Max tried to pull herself together enough to prepare for Logan who she knew would be on his way over to her. 

She ran her finger over her lips as she tried to calm her breathing. She didn't know why she had kissed him that second time, but it wasn't exactly what she was expecting. She didn't have any more time to think about it though, because that was the moment that Logan reached her, sliding down onto the stool next to her. "Nice to see you", he deadpanned. Max stood up, about to leave, she couldn't face this now, but Logan stood up too, blocking her way. "Logan please", she said, trying to get past him without touching him. "What am I keeping you?", he asked, "You got some appointment at a motel you can't break?" Max had to fight herself from slapping him then, "Just get out of the way Logan, you're not thinking clearly, believe me you'll regret it if you say anything else now". 

She finally managed to get past him, but he wasn't having any of it, he reached out to grab her arm and accidentally caught her wrist instead. Her bare wrist. It was less than an inch of contact between them, but that was all it took. Within seconds the virus took hold and Max yelled for an ambulance. OC and Sketchy came running over, but there was nothing they could really do. The ambulance got there only minutes later and OC climbed up after Max to go with her. Sketchy said he'd follow on as there was no more room left and the ambulance sped off towards Harbour Lights hospital. 'God not again' Max thought, 'just please let him be okay'.

Max was in all-out panic by the time they got to the hospital, only calming down a little when she saw that it was Doctor Shankar that came out to deal with him. She ordered a few standard tests then sent the nurses and staff away so just she could talk to Max and OC. "You're lucky you got him here as soon as you did", she said, "but I think we're going to need to transfuse him". "Well that's not a problem right?", OC asked. "We're going to need Manticore blood", Dr Shankar said to Max, "and obviously we can't use yours". 'Alec', Max thought. "Just hold on", she said, running for the nearest pay phone, "I'll get you your donor".

She frantically punched in Alec's number, feeling her heartbeat at every unanswered ring. Eventually he clicked on, "Hello?" "Alec?", Max said, "Look I can't really explain right now, but we need you down at Harbour Lights hospital at the ICU right now". "Max?", Alec questioned, "Are you ok?" "It's not me", she replied, "It's Logan". He didn't need to hear anything else, he already knew what had happened. "I'll be there", he answered almost immediately, "just try not to worry Max, it'll be alright". 

Max hung up, just praying that that was true. Alec tucked his cell phone back into his pocket and ran for the door. Unfortunately he had barely got two steps out of the door when something hit him from behind, knocking him down the porch steps. He tried to get up, but found himself hit by several tasers. It was no use, he was not going to be moving anywhere very soon. He passed out before he could see who attacked him, but his last though before unconsciousness hit was of Max.

AN. Yeah I know that was kind of a mean place to read it, but it's called suspense people! Work with me here! More coming soon! *SS*


	3. Chemistry part three

Chemistry

By Sinful Starlet

Disclaimer: if you're bothered see the first chapter - if not I just saved you having to read it all again didn't I?!

Rating: again, see first one!

Summary: Max thought she had it all figured out - she loved Logan even though she couldn't be with him and Alec? He was just Alec - mildly irritating and a little too good at getting himself or her into trouble, but she forgot one thing - you can't fight chemistry! 

Author's note: Righto - chapter three, here we go! And firstly, to any Alec fans out there - DO NOT PANIC! I know I left the last chapter in a kind of awkward place for our boy, but trust me, what kind of story was I gonna be left with if I killed him off in the second chapter? Seriously - are things ever really that simple?! Also - MAJOR thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story so far! You guys rock!! :-)

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part #5

Ben had been a busy little psycho before Max and Manticore had caught up with him, and one of his victims had been a cop. Other cops don't tend to take this sort of thing well, especially if they're friends as well. Unluckily for Alec, there were a group of guys who worked at the station that he was brought into when he was arrested, that were friends of the dead cop. And they were less than pleased when Alec escaped, they'd been tailing him since then, finally catching up with him that night after he left Crash. They stood round his unconscious form, more than one of them aiming a few kicks at him as he lay there.

"Come on", one of them said, evidently the leader, "we need to get him inside before someone sees something, let's get him to the warehouse". Of course they could have just arrested him again, but they didn't want to risk him escaping again, so they were gonna make sure that there was no chance of that this time. They weren't out for justice anymore, just vengeance. Two of the less senior cops hauled Alec's body up and into their car before they all drove off together. They had been so caught up in getting Alec they hadn't noticed the single observer hiding in the shadows. He waited till they drove off and then turned his bike round, speeding off as fast as he could in the same direction.

It wasn't too long before the cops got to their warehouse. The warehouse was owned by a corrupt ring of cops in the Seattle PD for them to use to dish out their particular brand of police brutality. Alec started to regain consciousness as he was dragged inside and chained to one of the concrete beams supporting the roof. He may have been awake, but he still couldn't move, and it didn't look like he was going to get a chance to anytime soon. "He's all yours boys", the senior cop said once they were all inside, "just stay clear of the face". They looked at him questioningly. "Where's the fun or the lesson to the rest of the Seattle filth if he's unrecognisable when we bring him in?", the senior guy said, eliciting a few horrible laughs from the other goons. "And no guns either", he added, "I want his pain to last, he's not gonna die for a long time yet!"

So they took their turns, kicking, punching, beating him with nightsticks and whatever else came to hand. Alec may have been tough, but nobody could have withstood the beating he was getting for long, it took all of his energy not to cry out but he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of hearing him scream. His whole body wracked with searing pain, but he thought the worst was over, unfortunately he spoke too soon. Together two of them managed to turn him over and one of the others produced a whip. Whatever remained of his shirt fell to the floor in ragged shreds as the whip bit into his back.

Alec prayed for unconsciousness to return, but the only thing he could think of was Max. He knew she needed him to be there for Logan, and that Logan might die if he didn't get there, but there was nothing he could do. A single tear, single sign of weakness, rolled down his cheek before he mercifully lost consciousness.

Back at the hospital, Max was about ready to kill Alec. It'd been over half an hour and he still wasn't there. OC had left about ten minutes earlier saying she had a plan, but she still didn't know what to do. Dr Shankar kept coming back to check on Logan, but Max could tell that the news wasn't good. Max had absolutely no idea what to do - Alec wasn't answering his cell anymore, and she couldn't believe he could be that heartless as to just not show up. She was just about ready to hit the streets and drag him in kicking and screaming herself when Sketchy ran in, breathing hard.

When he eventually regained his breath enough to speak, the first word he managed was, "Alec". "Alec?", Max questioned, "Where is that little asshole 'cause I swear to God I---". "He's in trouble Max", Sketchy cut in, "this is serious". Despite her anger, Max held back enough to let him speak, trying to ignore the twinge of pain she felt when Sketchy said he was in trouble. "He was just coming out of his place when this group of guys jumped him - I think they were cops". 'Oh no', Max thought, "He was arrested again?", she asked. No way", Sketchy said, "they were out to hurt him and they weren't exactly failing. They've got him stashed at this warehouse but he's really badly beat up Max - I don't know if even he could last out much longer". 

Sketchy had been initiated into their confidence over the whole Manticore issue a few months ago, it was getting to a point where it was more dangerous him not knowing, besides as he put it, "Who's gonna believe I know a whole bunch of super soldiers?" The second Sketchy finished though, Max felt the dull thud of pain in her chest. She was scared for Logan, but she had been scared for him ever since he had been brought in. This was different - now she was scared for Alec.

"We need that transfusion", she said, "I'm gonna have to get him out of there somehow". Just as she was about to go though, OC came running in as well, dragging someone with her...someone wearing a bike helmet. "The day is saved", Cindy reported, handing over her captive. "Joshua?", Max hazarded, trying to peer in through the visor. "Joshua here - help Logan", Joshua helpfully offered. "It's transgenic blood right?", Cindy reasoned, "I guess wonder boy still hasn't shown up right?" "It's not his fault", Max filled in, "some cops have snatched him - he's in trouble too". "Man, it never rains but it pours right?", Cindy sighed.

Dr Shankar appeared a few minutes later, and said that yes they could use Joshua to transfuse Logan, but they would have to do something about hiding his face on account of he couldn't sit there transfusing Logan with a bike helmet on. Max searched around for something, finally spotting a supply tray in the hall and grabbing a surgical mask. "That'd work", Dr Shankar agreed, leading Joshua into Logan's room. Max sighed, knowing that Logan would be okay at least. OC came over to her after a minute, "What about Alec?" Max looked back at Logan reluctantly. "Go", Cindy insisted, "I'll stay here and watch the two of 'em", she said, gesturing to Logan and Joshua, "you go help your other boy". Max nodded, she had to go, "Sketch", she called, "you said something about a warehouse?"

Max pulled up to the warehouse about a half hour later, having gone home to get her ninja first. She crept inside, keeping to the shadows till she could get a decent view of the situation. The cops had moved away from Alec for the time being, but she could see him lying on the floor - he wasn't moving at all. She felt something rise up inside her, something primal, definitely something Manticore, and it was fairly obvious those cops were going to be leaving the warehouse in a serious amount of pain.

She knocked over a paint can near the door to break up the group a little. Two of the goons got up to check it out leaving three playing poker by the look of it. The second the two of them rounded the corner she was hiding behind, Max threw herself at them, they never really had a chance, not even to see who their attacker was. An X series soldier was not a good enemy to have on the best of days, but a pissed off transgenic was about as dangerous as you could get. They were both down and hurting in about ten seconds. The remaining cops heard the noise and drew their guns, not that it helped them at all.

Max was like a bomb, she kicked two of them, almost twice her size, into unconsciousness in a single blow. The senior cop was the last man standing, but one kick and two punches from Max and it was going to be about eight hours before he woke up again, and then he would seriously regret doing that. Max hurried over to Alec as soon as the last man was down and got him out of his chains. At first he didn't seem too badly hurt but as she moved him out into the light she couldn't help but gasp at the welts and bruises all over his chest. She had to stifle a cry when she saw his back. The cops had been like animals, someone less than a Manticore kid would have died about an hour ago, but Alec was still holding on, though he was barely conscious.

She spoke to him, more and more insistently as she checked him out for any bone breaks or serious bleeding, and almost cried with relief when he spoke at last. "Max!", was his first word, spoken by a voice that was in so much pain it was horrible to hear, then, "Logan! Have to get to...hospital!" No matter how hurt he was, Max had to practically hold him down to stop him from getting up and trying to do that right then. "Ssh", she soothed, "Logan's okay - Joshua transfused him, he's gonna be fine". "I'm sorry", Alec insisted, needing her to know, "I couldn't--". "Ssh", Max said again, fighting back a tear, "it's you I'm worried about now. Amazingly you don't seem to have broken anything, but we need to get you out of here before these guys wake up again". Though there wasn't much chance of that happening anytime soon.

Alec struggled to stand, Max wincing as she saw the pain in his face, but he at last got to his feet and managed to walk, supported by her. There was nothing left of his shirt and Max's jacket obviously wasn't gonna fit him, but she managed to wrap it round his shoulders to give some kind of protection and warmth. She frowned with concern when they got outside and she realised that her ninja was the only transport they had - this was going to hurt like hell. "I'm sorry Alec, but we're gonna have to take my bike". Alec tensed a little against her, but he let her lift him onto the seat and didn't even flinch as she wrapped his arms fairly tightly round her waist. 

She drove as quickly but as smoothly as she could back to her apartment, avoiding every bump in the road, every pothole (not in an easy job in the city these days). They at last got there, and she lifted him just as gently off the bike and into the elevator, up to her apartment.

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part #6

Max pushed the door open and helped him inside to be greeted by OC sitting up for her. "You know I was startin' to worry Boo", she said, before she caught sight of Alec. She was a little suspicious seeing the two of them together, especially after what had happened at Crash, but then as Alec moved more into the light she got a glimpse of some of his injuries. "Damn!", she said, now more than a little concerned himself. "He'll be okay", Max said, helping him over to the sofa, "but we need to get these cuts and stuff cleaned up". It was only now that she questioned OC being back so early. "Logan?", she asked. "He's fine", OC replied, nodding, if a little surprised that it'd taken Max so long to ask, "the transfusion worked like a charm. Dr Shankar wanted him to stay in over night, but he wouldn't have it. He discharged himself so me and Sketch made sure he and Josh got home okay". "Thanks OC", Max said, smiling gratefully, relaxing a little and returning her attention fully to Alec. She had managed to lay him down on the sofa, unknotting her jacket from around his shoulders so she could get a better glimpse of what she was dealing with. 

A thought crossed her mind and she mentally kicked herself for thinking about things like that at a time like this. She stroked a lock of hair out of his eyes and stood up again, "I'm just gonna get some bandages and stuff", she said, "I'll be back in a sec". She smiled to OC as she moved past her to the bathroom and OC sat down on the coffee table beside Alec. "Damn boy", she said, as she sat, "you okay?". "Yeah stupid question!", she added a second later as she saw the look on his face, but he wasn't really looking at her. OC turned her head slightly but she could already tell where he was looking and she sighed, shaking her head. "You know she was ready to kill you about three hours ago", she said, not wanting to be harsh, but needing him to know the truth. Alec couldn't reply, but he nodded his head to show he understood. "Hey I'm not saying it was your fault boo", Cindy went on, smiling a little at him, "but you gotta know how this is gonna go right?" Alec shifted a little, wincing slightly from the pain in his back, and looked at her questioningly. Original Cindy sighed again, she was obviously gonna have to spell it out to him. "You know she's only pretending to be with you to try to get Logan to forget her don't you?", she said, trying not to be harsh, "She's still in love with him". Alec didn't reply immediately, but he was clearly less than impressed that OC had seen through him. As far as she could make out, he sighed slightly, but the only thing he said was, "I know". 'Oh God', Cindy thought, this was all Max needed right now. She hesitated for a second, not sure whether to push it, but in the end she decided it was worth a shot. "You in love with her?" Alec's face was a picture of shock, but Cindy wasn't convinced that that wasn't an act. Unfortunately she didn't get the chance to push it any further, because just at that moment Max walked back in, bearing bandages, ointment and a bowl of warm water.

"Okay", Max said, setting her supplies down on the table, "let's take a look at you". She worked silently for the most part, occasionally murmuring something soothing as she grazed too close to an open wound. OC sat back in surprise as she watched Max work, in fact the whole scene in front of her was a picture. Alec, not normally the most trusting of guys just lay there, trusting Max completely to help him and tend to his wounds. And Max was scarcely less interesting. Though she was a little hesitant at first, she grew more confident as time wore on, and she worked so gently, tender even, her face marked with worry.

She eventually finished attending to his chest and arms and she helped him to sit up so she could see to his back. OC was even more taken aback when she saw that. She couldn't believe that they had done that to him. His back was raw with about fifty separate cuts where the whip had cut into him, and though the bleeding had stopped it was still a gruesome sight. Again though, Alec didn't even flinch as Max carefully cleaned up the cuts, bandaging the worst of them and helping him to lie back down again. She disappeared for a few seconds again and then came back, gesturing to OC to help her to get him standing again.

"I know my couch may seem like a good option right now", she said, "but you need to get some proper rest". Between the two of them, Max and OC managed to get Alec into Max's bedroom, lying him down on the bed. OC left for a minute to bring him in a glass of water and Max helped him to get under the sheets. His shirt of course was gone, as were his boots by now, but he still had his jeans on. Max hesitated for a second, this was a little more personal than she had planned on getting with Alec, but at the same time, she knew how uncomfortable sleeping in jeans was, so trying not to think about it, she gently eased them off, setting them down on the chair next to the bed and tucking his legs under the quilt.

Alec had already been too exhausted to object to any of this, and by the time he was under the covers, he was already asleep. Max sat there for a few more seconds, gently stroking his face, telling herself that she was only trying to check if he was running a temperature, but it somehow wasn't working. She only realised what she was doing when OC appeared back at the door with the water. The girl stepped past her to put the glass down and then beckoned for Max to follow her outside. Max closed the bedroom door behind her and then sat down with OC on the sofa. "So how's he doing?", Cindy asked, trying to read Max's face to see what she was thinking. "Not great", Max said sadly, "but he'll be okay, it could have been a lot worse if I hadn't've gotten there in time". OC nodded, waiting a second before she spoke again. "And how are you?" "I've had better days", Max said, managing a weak smile, "God I was so scared for him". "Well he's gonna be fine", OC supplied, "Doc said he'd be up and about by tomorrow, no problem". "What?", Max questioned, before quickly correcting herself, "Oh right, of course - I think I just need to get some rest". "Sure", OC replied, "You wanna take my room?" "No it's fine", Max insisted, "this couch looks pretty good to me right now!" OC smiled and got up to go to her own bedroom, offering a parting smiled to Max and wishing her goodnight, but the second her back was turned, a frown crossed her face. Max hadn't been talking about Logan.

AN. Ooh tension tension! Lots more to come soon! *SS* Also - in response to one review - hope this is easier to read!


	4. Chemistry part four

Chemistry

By Sinful Starlet

Disclaimer: see part one

Rating: also see part one!

Summary: You could check part one too, but anyway! Max thought she had it all figured out - she loved Logan even though she couldn't be with him and Alec? He was just Alec - mildly irritating and a little too good at getting himself or her into trouble, but she forgot one thing - you can't fight chemistry! 

Author's note: Getting into the interesting stuff now! This is where it gets really complicated!

*SS*

= + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + =

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part #7

Max didn't get too much sleep that night - not that she normally slept for hours on end, but too much had happened that night for her to get any rest. She was already seriously confused over the whole situation with Logan and Alec and then both of them had gotten into serious trouble. It wasn't until practically morning that she finally realised that Logan had barely crossed her mind since she left the hospital. Of course she had been worried for him, she was terrified at the hospital, but then she had heard about Alec. However scared she was for Logan, if it was even possible, she felt worse when she found Alec in the warehouse.

She knew he would be okay in the end - it took a hell of a lot to keep an X5 down, but that wasn't what had worried her. She had found him lying on the floor of the warehouse, his eyes closed and unmoving, and though it was the last thing she wanted, the image of Ben flashed into her mind. That was probably what had gotten to her most. She still felt so awful about Ben that seeing Alec every day was hard enough as it was, but seeing him lying there like that was too much of a reminder. She just went on autopilot from then on. She knew it was too late to save Ben, but if she could help Alec now then it might help her to feel marginally less horrible eventually.

So by the time 7.00 rolled round the next morning, she had been in and out of her room about six times to check on him, make sure he was sleeping okay etc. He was lucky he was an X5, because his suped-up healing abilities had kicked in while he slept. He still had plenty of bruises, Max noted as she peeled back the quilt just enough to see, but even those were beginning to fade by that time. She smiled as he pulled a funny face in his sleep, she actually thought he might have woken up and was just messing with her, but his breathing was still steady and rhythmical as it was when he was asleep. 

She pulled her robe tighter round her as she stepped back into her living room. It wasn't that cold, but she was only wearing a t-shirt and boxers and her short dressing gown wasn't exactly helping much. She made herself a cup of coffee and just curled up on the sofa under her blankets to drink that. She knew it would be a while yet before either Alec or OC awoke, but evidently someone was up, because she heard a knock at her door. She put down the cup frowning a little, it was a little early for visitors, but she walked over to the front door, unlocking it and opening it slowly. 

She was a little shocked at first by the visitor, but she recovered quickly, "Hey". "Hey Max", Logan said, offering a smile which she returned, "can I come in?" She nodded, stepping aside for him to walk inside. "I know it's early", he said once they were inside, taking in the sight of her in her night clothes, "but I wanted to catch you before you went to work". "Okay", Max smiled, gesturing for him to sit down at the kitchen table, which he did, "so how are you? Shouldn't you be at home resting or something?" "I'm fine", Logan smiled, pleased that she still worried about him, "really!", he insisted. "I wanted to thank you for looking out for me last night". Max felt a little guilty. She had been at the hospital, that was true, but she left before he ever regained consciousness and she hadn't called back to check on him. "I said a lot of things last night that I wish I hadn't", Logan continued, not noticing her inner struggle, "but you still came through and saved me". "And I always will", Max insisted, "you never have to worry about me not being there for you - and you have nothing to apologise about". Logan could tell that wasn't really true, but he accepted her gracious offer, smiling in thanks. It was some moments before either of them spoke again, but it was Logan who at last broke the silence. He didn't look at Max as he spoke, and his voice was a little quieter than usual, but he managed to say, "I still don't believe you though". Max frowned, not sure what he meant. "You and Alec?", Logan prompted, "I don't believe that the two of you are together--". Max opened her mouth to protest, trying to maintain her cover story, but Logan cut her off, shaking his head. "I don't believe you", he said again, "but I see what it is that you're trying to do".

There was basically no need for Max to say anything then. She knew he still loved her, but he accepted that they couldn't be together for the time being. "Anyway", Logan said after a while, and a considerably more comfortable silence than the one a few minutes earlier, "I should probably get going, you need to get ready for work and all". "Yeah", Max nodded, standing up to show him out, adding, "you just take it easy today okay?" Logan smiled again, and that's when it happened. Things were about to go perfectly for Max - she was friends again with Logan, so they had cleared up the whole 'Alec' situation - but things can never stay perfect for long. Logan was all but out the door when a new voice entered the living room, "Hey Max you wouldn't know what happened to my shirt would you?"

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part #8

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A few minutes earlier...

Alec groaned as the sunlight creeping in under the curtains started to wake him up. He turned his head on the pillow to look at the clock and groaned again - 7:31 - way too early for him to be getting up normally. He rubbed his eyes a little, realising that he probably wasn't going to get back to sleep, and then as his vision came back into focus, he realised where he was. He was certainly not back at his apartment. He looked around him, eventually catching sight of one of Max's sweaters on the back of a chair. Okay, he was in Max's bedroom - Max's bed even, wearing...well not a whole hell of a lot by the look of things, although he thanked some kind of higher power that he still had his boxers on.

He tried to sit up and take stock of what had happened, and that's when he remembered he was hurt. As Max had seen, most of the cuts and injuries were well on their way to healing, he just had a few feint bruises, but the pain was still just about there. He stood up and walked over to the mirror next to the closet to get a better idea of what he was dealing with. He peeled the bandages off his back, and those cuts had healed over too. As he was standing there, he started to get flashbacks to what had happened the night before - how he had gotten injured in the first place, and who had appeared right on cue to save his ass...again.

He remembered her saying that she was worried about him, and a slight smile crossed his face as he remembered the look of concern on her face - she did care for him after all, despite seeming to think he was an asshole most of the time! He found his black jeans laying on the chair and pulled them on, but he couldn't seem to find his shirt anywhere, so he figure now was about as good a time as any to look for Max and some clothing at the same time. He opened the door of the bedroom, stepping out into the living room and calling out to her, "Hey Max you wouldn't know what happened to my shirt would you?"

He rounded the corner just in time to see her standing by the open front door, her face displaying shock and a little hurt, then he saw Logan. 'Oh crap' he thought as he saw the expression on the other man's face, what had he done now? "Logan--", Max started, almost immediately, but Logan wasn't about to let her finish. He just shook his head, "Forget it Max - I guess I made a mistake". "Logan wait!", Max called after him, but he was already about halfway down the hall, and he wasn't gonna turn round. Max called out to him a couple more times then reluctantly closed the door, leaning back against it and sinking down to rest her head on her knees.

Alec just stood there for a few seconds, trying to figure out what the hell to say to her. Without even trying he had managed to screw things up for her again, this was becoming a more and more common occurrence for him. And she was gonna have _so_ much patience for him now! Here he was, with a girl he had to admit he really did care about, and he was probably causing her more pain and heartache than White and all his transgenic-hunting psychos put together. After giving her a few minutes he walked over to her, not saying anything at first, just sitting down next to her, and extending an arm to gently pull her into a hug.

"If you want me to go, then just say Max", he said eventually, "I can't imagine that you want me here right now". To his surprise though, she didn't push him away, she just shook her head and then leaned further into his embrace as she started to cry again. He felt truly awful listening to her cry, feeling her hot tears running down the bare skin of his chest, but he knew better than to try and say anything to her now. He just let her have her cry-out, stroking her hair softly, needing her to know that he was there for her. Max herself was feeling even more confused than ever, she was finally back on track with Logan so she could go back to ignoring what ever messed up feelings she was having towards Alec, but then things had to go wrong again.

And it was Alec that had stayed and comforted her. He just held her tenderly, not asking anything of her, not forcing her to say something. He was just there for her, and that felt amazing. She felt so safe resting in his arms, she didn't want the moment to end. But of course it did. She hadn't heard OC come out of her room at first, but then she felt Alec pulling away from her, gesturing for her to turn round. OC was just standing there, trying to force a smile, not sure exactly how to react to the scene in front of her. "You want me to leave you guys for a minute?", Alec asked again quietly, but Max couldn't let him go just yet.

She turned round to face her friend, who understood completely. "I'll go use the shower or something", she said, with a smile, "I can see you guys need to talk". She walked quickly into the bathroom, leaving Max and Alec alone again. All Max wanted was to fall back into that hug, but the moment had passed for the time being, and Alec was standing up, helping her to stand with him. He nodded towards the sofa and the two of them moved over to it, sitting down opposite each other. "I don't think it's gonna mean much right now", he said, "but I am so sorry Max - I seem to be rather good at messing things up for you, but I swear I don't do it deliberately!"

Max couldn't help but laugh a little at that. It truly wasn't his fault, she thought, he just had about the worst timing of anybody she had ever met - including Sketchy! "It's not your fault", she said, at last, and he seemed pleased that he had managed to get her to do that much, "things between me and Logan have been awkward as hell for a while now, you just keep getting caught in the crossfire!" Alec shared the weak smile she offered him, "Is a normal life always this complicated?", he asked jokingly. "Seems like", Max replied, sharing the joke, "everybody has their problems - it's just about finding the good stuff in between". Alec nodded, looking down, and Max took a deep breath. 

This was probably not her best decision, she thought, but if she didn't do this now, she probably never would. "And finding the good people", she said, reaching over to let her hand fall over the top of Alec's. He looked up then, surprised at the contact, confusion in his face as he tried to read the unspoken message in her eyes. "Max--", he started, but she interrupted him. "Ssh", she said, "no more talking". That didn't exactly help confused Alec any, but he suddenly got the message loud and clear as she leaned in towards him, going to kiss him.

Despite the overwhelming impulse he felt at that moment to just give in to it and kiss her, he found that he was stopping her, resting his hands on her arms to gently push her back. She looked at him, now she was the one who was confused, and she looked more than a little upset. "Wait Max", Alec said, gently, "I know you're really upset about Logan right now, but I don't think just running into something with me is gonna make you feel any better". "You'll regret it", he went on, a trace of sadness creeping into his voice, "and you'll hate me for not stopping you". "You still love him - I don't think this is your answer here".

Max shook her head, what the hell was going on here? She was finally willing to take the risk and see if what she was feeling for Alec was real, and he was pushing her away? She knew he didn't love her like Logan did, but she had thought there was something there. He could obviously tell she was upset so he lifted her chin up gently so she had to look at him before he spoke again. "Hey - believe me, it's not that I don't want to!", he said, a smile creeping over his face, "But I gotta know what I'm getting myself into".

Max sighed, pulling away from to sit back down where she was before, brushing her hair off her face and trying to think what to say, though she had no idea where to start. "Seriously Max", Alec said after a while, "what's going on here?" "I honestly don't know!", she replied, practically laughing at the absurdity of the situation, "_Seriously_ Alec", she said, mimicking his question to her, "I'm so confused I can't see where I'm going anymore. Everything's messed up, it's like it's all backwards or something. I don't know what I want or why I'm feeling like this but--". The rest of her sentence died unspoken, Alec's lips captured hers mid-sentence and every rational thought she had left flew out of her head and into oblivion.

"Feeling like what?", Alec asked, once he finally pulled away from her. It took Max a few seconds to process what had just happened, and a few more to stop herself from just kissing him again, but her brain did eventually register the question and she fought to get her mind back onto conscious thought. "Like I've been waiting for you to do that for about a month!", she said at last, feeling uncharacteristically shy all of a sudden. Alec's eyes widened a little, but that clearly wasn't a good enough explanation for him, so Max took a deep breath and let it all out.

"I've been thinking about you a lot", she said, looking up to catch his eye-line. "I don't know how or when it started exactly - and I have no idea why--". "Gee thanks!", Alec cut in, unable to control the impulse. Max rolled her eyes, but she went on, "I guess I tried to ignore it at first 'cause it was just too confusing. For the longest time Logan had been the only guy I was interested in, and we didn't exactly have the best chemistry when we first met!" Alec smiled, he had to admit that that was true. "So did you figure out you had feelings for me before or after you kicked my ass in that cage fight?", he asked jokingly. "Actually, it was about two weeks before that!", Max said, laughing at his amazed expression. "You liked me then?", he asked, "Word of advice - a kick like that don't exactly say you care!" "Oh come on!", Max laughed, "I didn't even hit you that---oh!", she broke off, suddenly realising exactly which kick he was talking about! "Well you totally deserved that!" Alec feigned amazement again, making her laugh all over again. "I was just figuring out that I had feelings for you and you were flirting your ass off with that ring girl!" "You're a tough woman to please Max!", Alec said, laughing too, "I was cheating on you before we even came close to dating?!" 

"Hey I have standards!", Max protested, "And like I said, I was still confused - I didn't realise it fully till a couple of days ago, that night I busted you out of jail". Alec nodded, understanding that night had been a bit of a turning point for him too - he would never admit to her, but he had actually been awake that night when she came over to him on the sofa. "But seriously though", he started again, something still not quite adding up, "you liked me when we were fighting?" "It was getting to me a little", Max reluctantly admitted, "being that close to you, touching you, feeling you...", she trailed off, and by the look of it, she wasn't the only one that that had gotten too. Alec swallowed hard and nodded for her to go on. "Plus you were only wearing those little shorts! Not like you need an ego boost, but you did look pretty hot!" "Well I work out!", Alec joked, before turning a little more serious, "So why didn't you tell me before?" "I was still trying to figure things out in my own head", Max offered, "this was gonna be a fairly major decision for me...", she stopped, that wicked smile returning as her eye level dropped for a second, "...plus, I wanted to make sure that you'd..._recovered_ fully first!" Alec followed her gaze, realising what she was looking at, and was a little taken aback at how forward she was being! 

Max herself, had to break eye contact for a second, a little embarrassed at saying so much, "So anyway--", she started, but she didn't get the chance to finish again. For the second time that morning, Alec kissed her. Though it was still a little unexpected this time, she was a little more prepared so she could fully appreciate the moment. Her arm wound round his neck drawing him closer to her as the kiss deepened and she sighed into his mouth. On the other side of the room, the bathroom door opened a crack and a pair of eyes peeked out, before the door quickly shut again! "Damn!", OC breathed, unable to stop the smile on her face, it looked like they were gonna need a little more time!

AN. Okay, I know it was mean stopping there again! V. v. close to the end now! Couple more pages to add soon, then I might be able to add my next story "Misconceptions"! *SS* As always - reviews greatly appreciated!


	5. Chemistry part 5 - finale!

Chemistry

By Sinful Starlet

Disclaimer: see part one

Rating: see part one

Summary: Since this is the last part you really should know by now but never mind! Max thought she had it all figured out - she loved Logan even though she couldn't be with him and Alec? He was just Alec - mildly irritating and a little too good at getting himself or her into trouble, but she forgot one thing - you can't fight chemistry! 

Author's note: Well here we are - the last part! (*sniffs* - feeling quite emotional now!) Hope you've enjoyed the story so far, anyway, don't want to leave you hanging on any longer so carry on reading and I hope you like the end!

*SS*

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part #9

Max couldn't even tell how long the kiss lasted, but she knew she didn't want it to end. Nothing in her whole life had ever felt that good, and the fact that this was happening with Alec was even more amazing to her. They did eventually part, if only to come up for oxygen, but when they did, they were both smiling more than they had for a long time. "Well that was different!", Alec said after a while had passed. "But good right?", Max questioned, still a little unsure of herself. Alec may have only been out of Manticore for about eight months but he'd already had more girlfriends than she'd had boyfriends in the last ten years!

"Definitely", he said, smiling again, leaning into kiss once more, more gently this time, breaking it off after only a few seconds, but having just the same effect. "Not proposing to be the expert here", he started, prompting a raised eyebrow look from her which made him laugh, "but as far as I can tell...I think I'm in love with you". Max had to sit back for a second then, she was _so_ not prepared for that! When she didn't say anything, he spoke again, "Hey I know I'm not the most romantic guy in the world, but I was looking for at least some kind of answer here!" Max smiled, seeming to glow with the happiness that was flowing through her now, "You're wrong", she said.

"Okay - not exactly what I was looking for, but it's a start!", Alec interrupted. "No", Max said, laughing at the slight frown on his face, "I meant that was one of the most romantic things I've ever heard...and no matter how I felt before, I can't help but be in love with you too". "Oh so if you had a little more energy, or patience to set your standards higher you wouldn't be in love with me?", Alec joked, needing to hear that he was right. "It's a little late for that now", was Max's only response as she pulled him back in for another lingering kiss. They lost all track of time again, but eventually a voice came floating over to them. "Have you two finished yet 'cause I really need to get out of this bathroom!"

They broke off from the kiss, both laughing, and Max called for OC to come out, "Yeah you're safe", she said. "Thank God!", OC replied as she walked back into the living room, pleased to see her two friends looking so happy. She didn't think she had ever seen Alec genuinely smiling, and she hadn't seen Max look that happy for a long time. "I should probably get going", Alec said, seeing that Max really wanted to talk to her friend, and standing up. "Uh honey?", OC questioned, as he started pulling his boots on, "I think you might want a shirt or something before you try and go outside!"

Max tried to hide her smile, "I'll see if I have something", she said, "it's probably pointless asking you right?", she jokingly asked OC. "Damn straight!", OC replied, making Max and Alec laugh again. "Okay", Max said, returning a little later, "I don't know if this'll fit but it's the only thing I have". She held up a blue sweater, luckily only OC recognised it as being one of Logan's that Max had borrowed a long time ago, but she knew better than to say anything. Alec pulled it on over his head, and it was a little tight in places, but it basically fitted. He walked over to the door with Max, OC giving them a minute to say goodbye. 

"I'll see you later", he said, kissing her again, almost laughing into the kiss as Max's fingers found the bottom of his sweater and sneaked underneath. "What?", she said pulling back, a little annoyed. "Your hands are cold!", he laughed, sharing a smile with OC over his shoulder. "I'll see you soon", he said, kissing her once more before he made his way out of the apartment and back to his own place to get ready for work. "Okay", OC said, as soon as the door was shut, "we only have about ten minutes or we're both gonna be late for work, but you are gonna tell me everything that happened last night!"

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part #10

Max smiled as she remembered OC's reaction that morning, completely comfortable leaning back against Alec as they sat together on the Space Needle. As the smile crept over her face, Alec noticed and quietly asked her, "What're you thinking about?" "Life, the Universe, everything, y'know", Max joked, sighing as Alec playfully kissed her neck. "Actually I was thinking about Manticore", she said. Alec pulled back, not sure where she was going with that, but a little worried anyway. "What about it?", he asked. "Us", Max replied, "I think pairing us up was the one thing they managed to do right!"

"Really not disagreeing with you!", Alec replied, turning her head just a little to kiss her properly. "Any regrets?", he asked, still concerned about how things had gone between her and Logan. "Maybe", she said after a while, which was not exactly the answer he had been hoping for, "but none of them are about you!" "Well that's okay then!", Alec replied, pleased. They sat there in silence for a few more minutes, before either spoke again, just enjoying each other's company. "So do you wanna go?", Alec asked eventually. "In a minute", Max replied, leaning back further into his embrace, "I think I just wanna stay here a little while longer".

THE END

AN. Ta da! It's finished - hoorah!! Sorry (getting a little over-excited there!) Hope ya liked it anyway! My next story should be up soon! *SS*


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